Mille Feuille Nabe - Beautiful Japanese Hot Pot

Ingredients

• 15 leavesNapa cabbage
• 300 gShabu-shabu beef
• 100 gPerilla leaves
• 200 gBok choy
• 50 gEnoki mushrooms
• 3 (save the stems for the broth)Shiitake mushrooms
• 10Dried anchovies
• 1 iPhone-sized pieceDashima (dried kelp)
• 50 g (optional)Korean radish
• 3Shiitake mushroom stems
• 1.42 litres (6 cups)Water
• 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon; use soup soy sauce if you have it)Soy sauce
• 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon)Salt
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)Soy sauce
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)Vinegar
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)Cooking wine
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)Honey

Instructions

1. 1

   Layer the ingredients

   Start with a cabbage leaf, then layer on two perilla leaves and two slices of beef. Add another cabbage leaf, another layer of perilla and beef, and finish with a third cabbage leaf.

2. 2

   Cut the stacks

   Repeat until you have used the leaves and other ingredients. Cut each stack into thirds.

3. 3

   Line the pot

   Separate the bok choy leaves and spread them across the bottom of a large pot.

4. 4

   Arrange the stacks

   Set the cut stacks on top of the bok choy, arranging them in a circle.

5. 5

   Add the mushrooms

   Place the enoki and shiitake mushrooms in the centre of the pot.

6. 6

   Clean the anchovies

   Remove and discard the dark innards and heads from the dried anchovies. Keep the cleaned bodies for the broth.

7. 7

   Combine the broth

   Put the cleaned anchovies, dashima, Korean radish and shiitake stems in a large pot with the water.

8. 8

   Simmer the broth

   Bring the pot to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 minutes, then remove the dashima. Boil the remaining ingredients for another 10 minutes, remove them all, and season the broth with 2.5 ml soy sauce and 2.5 ml salt.

9. 9

   Mix the sauce

   Stir together the 30 ml soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine and honey. This makes enough dipping sauce for two people.

10. 10

    Pour in broth

    Gently pour the prepared broth into the pot with the arranged vegetables and beef. Heat over high until the pot comes to a boil.

11. 11

    Simmer until cooked

    Reduce the heat to medium and let the hot pot simmer.

12. 12

    Serve the hot pot

    Once the beef is fully cooked, as it would be for shabu-shabu, take out a stack, dip it in the sauce and eat.

What is mille-feuille nabe?

Mille-feuille nabe is a Japanese hot pot named for its layers, which resemble the leaves of the French mille-feuille pastry. Cabbage and thin slices of meat are stacked, cut and arranged in a pot before being simmered in broth.

This version layers in fragrant perilla and adds bok choy and mushrooms. The close-packed stacks cook gently while keeping the pot colourful and easy to serve.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 430 calories, 31g protein, 22g carbs, 23g fat.

The beef provides most of the protein and contributes much of the fat, while the cabbage, bok choy and mushrooms supply some carbohydrates. Honey and the dipping sauce add further carbohydrate, and the soy sauce, salt and anchovies account for much of the sodium. Pair a serving with rice if you want a more substantial plate, or add extra vegetables for more volume.

Build even stacks

Cabbage first: Use a cabbage leaf as the base and alternate it with perilla and beef as directed. Keeping the layers roughly even helps the stacks hold together when cut.

Trim and cut: Make the stacks snug rather than loose, then cut each into thirds. If leaves are different sizes, align them as best you can before slicing.

Make the broth

Anchovies: Remove the dark innards and heads before simmering, as instructed, and use the cleaned bodies to flavour the water.

Dashima: Take it out after the first 10 minutes, then let the remaining broth ingredients boil for another 10 minutes. Strain out the anchovies, radish and mushroom stems before seasoning.

Arrange and cook the pot

Bok choy base: The leaves line the bottom of the pot beneath the stacks. Arrange the cut pieces in a circle and leave the centre for the mushrooms.

Gentle simmer: Bring the filled pot to a boil over high heat, then lower it to medium. The beef is ready when it is fully cooked through; avoid continuing to boil it hard.

Use the dipping sauce

Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine and honey while the broth is being prepared. Stir until the honey is well dispersed.

Dip each hot stack as you eat. The sweet, tangy sauce gives each mouthful a flavour contrast to the savoury broth.

Serve it at the table

Bring the pot to the table once the beef has cooked, and use a serving spoon or chopsticks to lift out the stacks. Keep the dipping sauce alongside for everyone to use.

For a more complete plate, serve with rice or another simple side. The broth and vegetables make a pleasant, warming meal on their own, too.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use beef sliced thinly enough to cook quickly in the simmering broth.
• Keep the cabbage and beef layers aligned so the stacks are easier to cut cleanly.
• Remove the dashima after 10 minutes as directed to keep the broth balanced.
• Arrange the stacks firmly in the pot so they stay upright during cooking.
• Mix the dipping sauce while the broth simmers to make serving straightforward.

Variations

• More mushrooms: Add extra enoki or shiitake to the centre of the pot.
• Skip the radish: Leave out the optional Korean radish when making the broth.
• Use soup soy sauce: Choose it for the broth seasoning if you have it.
• Add more greens: Increase the bok choy and tuck the leaves around the stacks.
• Adjust the dip: Use less honey for a less sweet dipping sauce.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Loose layers: Align the cabbage, perilla and beef before cutting so the stacks hold together.
• Skipping anchovy cleaning: Remove the dark innards and heads before adding the anchovies to the broth.
• Leaving in the dashima: Take it out after the first 10 minutes of boiling.
• Crowding the centre: Keep the mushrooms in the middle and arrange the stacks around them.
• Boiling too vigorously: Reduce the heat to medium once the pot boils so the beef can simmer gently.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover hot pot and dipping sauce separately in covered containers and eat within 2 days. Reheat the hot pot gently in a saucepan until steaming hot throughout; the beef may become firmer after reheating.

Frequently asked questions